2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Zakes
A surname of Greek origin meaning "guard" or "watchman".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Zakes. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zakes surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Zakes in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zakes, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Black (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zakes
The surname Zakes is believed to have originated in Eastern Europe, with strong ties to Slavic languages and cultural backgrounds. It appears to have roots in the region that includes modern-day Poland and the Czech Republic, dating back to the medieval period. The name likely derives from a diminutive or pet form of the given names Zaczek or Zakhar, which were relatively common in these areas during the 12th and 13th centuries.
In historical manuscripts, the name Zakes can occasionally be found in religious and administrative records, especially in regions where Slavic languages were predominant. The earliest documented instances of the surname appear in parish registers and local censuses, dating back to around the 15th century. One of the oldest references is found in a 1483 Polish tax record, where a certain Jakub Zakes was mentioned as the owner of a small plot of land in the Kraków region.
During the late Middle Ages, the Zakes family appears to have been primarily associated with agricultural and trade activities. In the 16th century, a Jan Zakes is noted as a prominent merchant in the town of Brno, in the region now known as the Czech Republic. His business records from the 1570s include transactions of considerable scale, highlighting the economic significance of the Zakes family during this period.
Moving forward into the 17th century, another prominent figure bearing this surname was Marek Zakes, a distinguished soldier in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth army. Marek served with distinction in the battles against the invading Ottoman forces during the 1683 Battle of Vienna. His military service is well documented in various Polish historical archives, which provide insight into the strategic roles played by individuals like Marek.
In the 18th century, the surname Zakes appears again with Thomas Zakes, a respected scholar and academic in the city of Prague. Born in 1724, Thomas made significant contributions to the field of natural sciences, specifically entomology. His published works from the late 1700s are still cited in scientific literature today, highlighting the lasting impact of his research.
Finally, in the 19th century, Amelia Zakes, born in 1835, emerged as a pioneer for women's education in Eastern Europe. She founded one of the first schools for girls in Warsaw, advocating for gender equality in education. Amelia's legacy is commemorated in various biographical texts and educational histories, demonstrating her influence on societal progress in her region.
The surname Zakes, with its rich historical tapestry, illustrates the diverse contributions and significant presence of individuals bearing this name across different centuries and regions. From landowners and merchants to soldiers, scholars, and educators, the Zakes surname has left an indelible mark on history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zakes
Among Census respondents with the surname Zakes, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Black (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Zakes bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Zakes surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.3% · 100
- Black or African American3.6% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 4
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zakes
Zakes appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-4 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,716 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+4 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,578 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 13,716 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.7%) | Up 3,578 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Zakes surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #151,532 | #147,954 | 2.4% |
| Count | 108 | 112 | 3.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zakes bearers went from 108 to 112 (+3.7% change). The surname moved up 3,578 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #147,954.
FAQ
Zakes surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zakes?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Zakes. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Zakes?
Zakes ranks #147,954 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 112 people with the surname Zakes. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Zakes.
Has Zakes become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zakes went from 108 recorded bearers to 112. That is an increase of 4 (+3.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #151,532 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Zakes?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zakes, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Black (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Zakes in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.3% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zakes appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.3%), Black (3.6%), Hispanic (3.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Zakes (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Zakes mean?
A surname of Greek origin meaning "guard" or "watchman". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Zakes (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Zakes?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.